Agenda item

The report was noted.

Dija Oliver, Project Manager for Swansea Bay City Deal Digital Infrastructure Programme provided members with a presentation on the Digital Infrastructure Programme as included in the report circulated.

Members thanked the officer for the presentation and commented that this was an important project being undertaken through the City Deal due to the number of residents with poor connectivity in some parts of the region. It was noted that good connectivity is vitally important for businesses and people working from home.

Members commented that some areas of the Gower constituency had no internet connection and there is concern that some residents will become digitally excluded. There needs to be good communication in the rural area to promote uptake. Officers confirmed a new team in Swansea is in place who are in the process of analysing data to understand how many properties in each ward are affected. The team will plan to meet with members to identify how the information can be communicated most effectively with constituents. Communication campaigns will be run in relation to some of the schemes. One scheme that supports people immediately is the Access Broadband Cymru Scheme where alternative technology can be used. Many Carmarthenshire residents are moving to Star Link but the cost is prohibitive and needs to be more competitive. It was noted that communication is important, as many people don’t understand what is available and when it is coming, but expectations need to be set in relation to when fibre will be available.

The Chair commented that he was happy that the Virgin Media total was excluded from the figures as it wasn’t fair. The Chair asked, apart from giving advice, what is physically being done to address the issues, as Superfast Cymru and Access Broadband Cymru are Welsh Government schemes and aren’t City Deal solutions. The chair noted that public sector organisations should be looking to address issues through UK/Welsh solutions rather than private companies like Star link due to the controversy around Elon Musk’s decision to turn off of the service in Ukraine and wanted to know what physical solutions is city deal bringing.

Officers confirmed that capital or revenue investment is being used to address issues, the Dark Fibre network to 33 strategic sites, initially in the Llanelli/Swansea/Neath area, will bring additional business grade fibre to those areas, this will also provide ‘Backhaul’ for mobile[PC1] . The Public Sector Broadband Aggregation (PSBA) order will bring additional fibre to 401 premises. Officers advised that they are also looking at ensuring they aren’t duplicating funding or prevent commercial rollout. Officers aren’t able to do interventions where commercial plans exist but do have the data to understand where they can intervene. Officers also have the data where Welsh Government and UK Government plan to intervene but what will remain will likely be hard to reach premises.

These need to be identified and addressed, there is potential to spend City Deal Funding towards this and to move some funding allocation from Connected Places to go further. It was noted that there is a finite pool of people who can deliver the infrastructure and therefore analysing data is essential to inform Officers plans.

The members questioned if the plan was to improve fibre to cabinets so that providers can sell better services to customers? Officers advised that its fibre to the premises and that the fibre routes will pass through the key industrial zones in the dark fibre network which they could then connect them up as city deal has paid for that fibre spine through public sector assets and sites and then that commercial organisations can build out from that.

On the Dark Fibre network, it would be business grade but the Mobile Backhaul will support residents. The PSBA will benefit residents. City deal capital spend under rural is targeting what is known as ‘white premises’, premises that cannot get gigabit capable or less than 10MB. Primarily Officers are looking at people who can’t get speeds up to 30MB.

The Chair questioned how much will have changed due to direct investment after the City Deal has ended. Officers confirmed that mobile connectivity was the responsibility of UK Government and mobile operators and noted it was difficult to quantify at this stage what changes would be in place at the completion of City Deal but the aim is to eradicate as many properties as possible with less than 30MB. The £12,000,000 Investment in masts is through Vodafone but the masts are shared infrastructure for other suppliers, this will reduce the number of masts in the countryside but increase the access to signal for everyone, especially in emergencies. Officers believe that City Deal has influenced decisions because the resources that are in place supports infrastructure deployment.

The Director of the Swansea Bay City Deal commented that the structure created by Digital Infrastructure is exemplar. Much of the funding is private sector with a very small amount of City Deal funding leveraged already. This region is accelerating faster than other regions. The existing funding available in parallel with City Deal funding will be maximised across the region, considering any future funding opportunities as well. Engagement with Welsh & UK government is strong, and the relationship will continue to solidify. Officers noted that take up of services is important to maintain suppliers in the region.

The report was noted.